New SC dog hunting bill

Weekender

Twelve Pointer
A BILL

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 50-11-325 SO AS TO DEFINE THE TERM "HUNTING DEER WITH A DOG", TO PROVIDE THAT A PERSON HUNTING DEER WITH A DOG MUST CAUSE THE DOG TO BE IDENTIFIED WITH A COLLAR, TO PROVIDE THE PROCEDURE WHEREBY A LOST DOG IS RETURNED TO ITS OWNER, TO PROVIDE THAT THE OWNER OF A DOG THAT TRESPASSES ON ANOTHER PERSON'S PROPERTY IS LIABLE FOR CIVIL DAMAGES, TO PROVIDE THAT IT IS UNLAWFUL TO STEAL, HARM, OR KILL A DOG IN PURSUIT OF A DEER THAT HAS IDENTIFIABLE OWNER INFORMATION OR REMOVE OR DESTROY ANY MEANS OF IDENTIFYING OR TRACKING THE DOG, TO PROVIDE THAT HUNTING DEER WITH A DOG IS UNLAWFUL ON A TRACT OF LAND THAT CONTAINS LESS THAN ONE THOUSAND ACRES UNLESS THE TRACT OF LAND IS ENCLOSED BY A FENCE, AND TO PROVIDE VARIOUS PENALTIES.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Article 3, Chapter 11, Title 50 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 50-11-325. (A) For purposes of this section, 'hunting deer with a dog' includes:

(1) the act of releasing or in any other way causing a dog to attempt to pursue or be in pursuit of deer;

(2) taking or attempting to take deer by aid of a dog; or

(3) participating in the pursuit of deer with a dog.

(B) A person must be considered hunting deer with a dog until the dog owner or his agent regains physical possession and control of the dog.

(C) Any person hunting deer with a dog must cause the dog to be identified with a collar bearing the dog owner's name and telephone number. A person who violates this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than two-hundred dollars nor more than five-hundred dollars, or imprisoned for not more than thirty days.

(D) Any dog in pursuit of deer on property for which the dog's owner does not have permission to hunt that is found without a collar or without the name and telephone number of the owner on the collar may be considered to be 'running at large' and may be impounded under Section 47-3-40 at the request of the property owner.

(E) Any dog with identifiable owner information that is in pursuit of a deer is not considered to be 'running at large', and if restrained must be treated humanely. Its owner must be notified within twenty-four hours. If the owner of the dog cannot be notified, local authorities must be notified within the same twenty-four hour period. Any dog with identifiable owner information must be surrendered to the owner or his agent. In order to reclaim the dog the owner or his agent must:

(1) acknowledge ownership of the dog;

(2) pay the person restraining the dog fifty dollars; and

(3) furnish to the person restraining the dog the owner's name and address, and identify the property from which the dog originated.

A person who violates this provision is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than two-hundred dollars nor more than five-hundred dollars, or imprisoned for not more than thirty days.

(F) The owner of a dog in pursuit of a deer that enters onto property for which the dog's owner does not have permission to hunt is subject to civil action by the owner of the property onto which the dog has entered. Damages for the first occurrence is one hundred dollars. For subsequence occurrences within three months by the same owner's dog or dogs, damages are two-hundred dollars per occurrence to a maximum of one-thousand dollars. These actions are nonjury matters and the magistrates court has concurrent jurisdiction with the circuit court.

(G) For five or more occurrences on the same day or more than five occurrences involving the same dog owner within three months, the activity is a public nuisance and the landowner may enjoin the activity and have a cause of action against the dogs, their owners, and the owner of land on which the dogs originated. Liability is established by proof of an intrusion by the dogs. Damages are equal to one-fifth of the current assessed value of the landowner's entire property.

(H) The prevailing party in any action brought pursuant to this section is entitled to the costs of the action and attorney's fees.

(I) It is unlawful to steal, harm, or kill a dog in pursuit of deer that has identifiable owner information or to remove or destroy any means of identification or tracking device from a dog. A person who violates the provisions of this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than five hundred dollars nor more than ten thousand dollars, or imprisoned for not less than thirty days nor more than six months, or both per offense. In addition, each person convicted of a violation of this subsection shall pay restitution to the legal owner of the dog as determined by the court.

(J) Notwithstanding another provision of law, hunting deer with a dog is unlawful on a tract of land that contains less than one thousand contiguous acres unless the property is enclosed by a fence capable of enclosing dogs used for deer hunting. A person who violates this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one thousand dollars."

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
, TO PROVIDE THAT HUNTING DEER WITH A DOG IS UNLAWFUL ON A TRACT OF LAND THAT CONTAINS LESS THAN ONE THOUSAND ACRES UNLESS THE TRACT OF LAND IS ENCLOSED BY A FENCE,

Well that is interesting.
 

Buxndiverdux

Old Mossy Horns
That has some serious teeth.... Wow...

I'm not against dogging for deer, but that sure gives a landowner some private property protection with a little bit of effort.
 

Buxndiverdux

Old Mossy Horns
Quick thinking tells me this... If I'm a renegade dogger... Get a burner phone # for collars, print a bogus name on them, and keep my license plate so bloody or muddy that it can't be read. ;)
 

wildcat3

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
If deer dog hunting is going to survive there will have to be some regulations put into place, and most on here know how I feel about hunting with dogs.
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
I'd only push something like that if counties that banned dog hunting already agree to legalize it again.
 

Quackman

Twelve Pointer
Man I wish NC would enact something like this. It would finally put an end to constant hunts ruined by dogs running through our property.
 

ChasinTrophies

Guest
Man I wish NC would enact something like this. It would finally put an end to constant hunts ruined by dogs running through our property.

Shoot every deer they push through. That solved most of our problems.
 

Buxndiverdux

Old Mossy Horns
that fifty dollar deal should be fun as well.

And then the 1/5 value of property for damages after more than 5 occurences(in 3 months) by the same owner....:eek:


I was in a still hunting only club near Oak City for several years. There was a renegade crowd that took it upon themselves to run our blocks on weekdays in December. It wasn't uncommon for me to catch 5-6 dogs with the same owner on those days. Some days I'd have 10-15 dogs crammed in my box and they all belonged to 2-3 guys. I just caught dogs all day long and kept them in my box until dark. Then handed them over. A guy could rack up some serious coin catching dogs....

I could hear the guys on the radio.... "I've got a strong beep on 4 of my dogs in the same spot, but they aren't running. I'm close enough to hear them"...

I'd just laugh and keep on catching dogs. :)
 
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catfishrus

Twelve Pointer
that fifty dollar deal should be fun as well.

Yea....like somebody is going to get the money. They will have to pass another law to get your money otherwise you will have to go to court to get a judgement which isn't worth the paper its wrote on. I guess you could keep the dog if they didn't pay?

Honestly...this bill is nothing more than a anti dog hunters wish list....it wont float.
 

45/70 hunter

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Shoot every deer they push through. That solved most of our problems.

By the second week of rifle season the deer don't come out in daylight where I still hunt. I found the perfect pinch point on my last hunting day and will hunt that hard next season!!! I will be doing extensive buckshot testing until then...
 
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aya28ga

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Just look at this as a "crystal ball" folks.

What happened in Georgia and this proposed law in South Carolina is in NC's future.
 
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cheapdate

Eight Pointer
Not familiar with hunting in South Carolina, but this sounds like big money still hunting outfitters flexing some political muscle. Nowadays, landowners with good still hunting can charge by the hunt and make good money during hunting season. However, it's hard to get the clientele to come back if a pack runs everything off the property. I seriously doubt that a group of ordinary still hunters were able to get that bill to see the light of day.
 

cheapdate

Eight Pointer
Yea....like somebody is going to get the money. They will have to pass another law to get your money otherwise you will have to go to court to get a judgement which isn't worth the paper its wrote on. I guess you could keep the dog if they didn't pay?

Honestly...this bill is nothing more than a anti dog hunters wish list....it wont float.

The way the bill reads to me is that no payment of $50 equals no return of dog. No courts needed. I could see some heated conversations taking place.
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
Just look at this as a "crystal ball" folks.

What happened in Georgia and this proposed law in South Carolina is in NC's future.

Maybe, maybe not.

The current GOP legislature squashed a bill to prohibit hunting deer with dogs in Orange County.

Dog hunters have a narrow window to get something done to preserve the sport.
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Dog hunting is much firmer entrenched in NC than many of the other states. It depends on if they rally together if so it will be around a long time. Like when we tried to extend the squirrel season, alone they laughed at us. We allied with the bear hunters and they fell over their :donk:donk:donk to listen to us.

I might add the fox hunters have held the power for years. If the deer dog hunters ever really merge powers with the fox, bear and small game dog hunters and some of that is happening with the responsible ones they will wield considerable more power.
 

wildcat3

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Dog hunting is much firmer entrenched in NC than many of the other states. It depends on if they rally together if so it will be around a long time. Like when we tried to extend the squirrel season, alone they laughed at us. We allied with the bear hunters and they fell over their :donk:donk:donk to listen to us.

I might add the fox hunters have held the power for years. If the deer dog hunters ever really merge powers with the fox, bear and small game dog hunters and some of that is happening with the responsible ones they will wield considerable more power.

2nd to Virginia I'd say North Carolina is one of the few remaining strong holds for dog hunting.
 

shadycove

Twelve Pointer
Yea....like somebody is going to get the money. They will have to pass another law to get your money otherwise you will have to go to court to get a judgement which isn't worth the paper its wrote on. I guess you could keep the dog if they didn't pay?

Honestly...this bill is nothing more than a anti dog hunters wish list....it wont float.

You are correct C, this is a crock, which may be a good thing since it is so far out of line that it cannot pass. If the backers had asked for half of this, they may have gotten it passed. It is so far out there that it won't even pass after being watered down in the SC general assembly.
I have long been painted with an anti dog brush but it just ain't so.
I have dog hunting friends all the way from NC to Oregon and keep a hunting dog near me always.
That said, deer dog hunters have alot of work to do SOON or stuff like this will return again and again until it passes in NC and SC. No one else can help y'all, you have to do it yourselves.
 
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n.d.woods

Eight Pointer
Virginia just drafted legislature too according to a thread on Archery Talk. Never had to deal with it, but sounds like dog hunters have made a lot of the wrong people upset!
 

CRC

Old Mossy Horns
Virginia just drafted legislature too according to a thread on Archery Talk. Never had to deal with it, but sounds like dog hunters have made a lot of the wrong people upset!

Or they are trying to be proactive and save the way they hunt.
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
You are correct C, this is a crock, which may be a good thing since it is so far out of line that it cannot pass. If the backers had asked for half of this, they may have gotten it passed. It is so far out there that it won't even pass after being watered down in the SC general assembly.
I have long been painted with an anti dog brush but it just ain't so.
I have dog hunting friends all the way from NC to Oregon and keep a hunting dog near me always.
That said, deer dog hunters have alot of work to do SOON or stuff like this will return again and again until it passes in NC and SC. No one else can help y'all, you have to do it yourselves.
I agree with Shady, I get painted as a pro dog radical, that is far from the truth. I spent most of my life trying to corral the ones that were causing issues yet I enjoy hunting with dogs as much as anyone. Bad hunters be it dog or otherwise give the sport a black eye. These folks are so shortsighted and really can't be all that intelligent or they would look at the big picture and realize that they are literally ending a way of life that has been around for years.

I spent my fair share of time as a member of dog hunting clubs, earlier on I deer hunted with dogs and was very active, later on as a member of these clubs I primarily small game hunted but was still a full fledged member because they were usually the only place available to hunt unencumbered during the deer season for small game with dogs as they didn't care what you hunted as they were already running dogs.
All of the clubs I was in was very proactive about policing themselves and wouldn't tolerate a member that broke game laws or trespassed or put dogs somewhere they weren't supposed to. I guess my professional background as well as the atmosphere that I have always hunted in makes it hard for me to this day grasp how these guys that cause all the problems hunt constantly looking over their shoulders knowing they have to look out for landowners or law enforcement. I couldn't get one minute of enjoyment doing that. Notwithstanding, they can't care much for their animals. Anyone that hunts with me knows that I am anal about controlling my dogs and making sure I keep them where they are supposed to be, yet I still worry about them. The thought of one getting killed is always on my mind.
 

RJ1

Ten Pointer
I come from a dog hunting family most run fox but a few like myself run bear we also as a family own a fair amount of land in N.C.and as as family we have made a decision that in the upcoming season we will not be leasing any land to still hunting clubs.We are not going to support a group of hunters that want to do away with any type of dog hunting.
 

bryguy

Old Mossy Horns
Honestly I like the minimum acreage requirement or the fence idea. You are free to dog hunt on your tract all you want, but you and your dogs are not free to trespass on my land. If you want to run your small tract, then you build the fence to keep your dogs on your land. Luckily the dog issue is not a problem in the western part of our county. Like I said, you are free to do what you want on your land, but the second you or your dogs cross on to my land then it is a problem.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Tipmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
Yea....like somebody is going to get the money. They will have to pass another law to get your money otherwise you will have to go to court to get a judgement which isn't worth the paper its wrote on. I guess you could keep the dog if they didn't pay?

Honestly...this bill is nothing more than a anti dog hunters wish list....it wont float.

Incorrect regarding wish list. A true wish list would read "Statewide, it shall be unlawful to hunt deer with dogs. Any and all protections and requirements for deer hunting with dogs shall be considered null and void." End of story.
 

DRS

Old Mossy Horns
I'm not totally against some regulation, but if the legislation basically outlaws dog hunting I would fight it all the way.

I think this bill over steps and will be really surprised if it passes as written.

I can see minimum acreage, unless the land owner is part of the hunt. A person that owns less than 1000 acres should have the same right to hunt his property the way he or she prefers, without a fence. I can see fines for trespassing dogs but that is where I draw the line and of coarse I never believe a person should trespass. It would be much simpler if the deer would learn not to have home ranges that cross property lines.

There is a problem I see with fines for dogs, some people will be trying to catch legally hunted dogs that are not trespassing.

I'll bet the bear hunters are thinking they will be next and are willing to join a fight this bill. Here in NC bear and deer hunters are organizing. Our fellow fox hunters have helped stand for hound hunting.

In Virginia some counties have recognized dog hunting as a tradition that has a significant economical impact.
 

bertienchunter

Twelve Pointer
I come from a dog hunting family most run fox but a few like myself run bear we also as a family own a fair amount of land in N.C.and as as family we have made a decision that in the upcoming season we will not be leasing any land to still hunting clubs.We are not going to support a group of hunters that want to do away with any type of dog hunting.

Wow.....you want hear that from many landowners.
 

bertienchunter

Twelve Pointer
Incorrect regarding wish list. A true wish list would read "Statewide, it shall be unlawful to hunt deer with dogs. Any and all protections and requirements for deer hunting with dogs shall be considered null and void." End of story.

Maybe they will ban all of hunting.....then we want have anything to gripe about and will have more money.
 

DRS

Old Mossy Horns
^ That reminds me. Think if all the guys that have hounds decide to still hunt if dog hunting was banned, decided to use that money to run the leases up on prime ground. Honestly, I think some people would find a reason to raise Cane about me squirrel hunting with a dog, during deer season.
 
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